A film to add to your watchlist for movies online that are scary is The Strangers 2 Prey at Night. The horror film based on the cult activist Charles Manson will give you your dose of scary movies alongside some very realistic scares. The Strangers Prey at Night sequel has a special feature trailer that shows you the bad guys prepping for their evening out. I have also included the alternate ending sequence for The Strangers 2 film as well as some thoughts on whether this is a true story or not and a review.
What Is The Strangers 2 Prey at Night Based on?
Take the concept from the Charles Manson murders and throw some fictional characteristics into it and you have ‘The Strangers‘ film premise. This Strangers review will have some spoilers because people always want to know whether something is based on real events or not. “Is the Strangers Prey at Night” a true story? Sort of. It’s a mishmash of a range of different horrific events that culminated in Manson’s reign of terror. It’s true.
While the original movie was more in line with part of the infamous slayings by Manson’s girls, this is a combination. The film’s writer, Bryan Bertino took some events from his childhood and blended them into a story that everyone knows. Inherently similar to the masked cult-like presence of the real-life murders from 1969.
- Director: Johannes Roberts. Strangers (2008): Bryan Bertino.
- Writers: Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai. Strangers (2008): Bryan Bertino.
- Released: March 2018. Shout out to Jim Steinman for the score because who doesn’t love Total Eclipse of the Heart?
- The Strangers Prey at Night cast: Christina Hendricks (Neon Demon), Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy), Bailee Madison (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark), and Lewis Pullman (Battle of the Sexes).
- Budget: $5 million for Prey at Night and Budget: $10 million for the original.
Video Trailer From Mickey Keating
Instead of the official trailer for Strangers Prey at Night, here is a special video from Mickey Keating, an indie horror director (Ritual and Carnage Park). He directed the official music video seen in the opening of Prey at Night. It has a remix of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” with footage (shot for the video) of The Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl getting ready for a night of ‘just because’ killing.
The Strangers Prey at Night Trailer
The Strangers Alternate Ending Sequence
Hate the ending you watched for Strangers Prey at Night?
Guess what? They made an alternate ending for The Strangers 2, Prey At Night. Here is it. Now you can choose which way you like best.
The Strangers 2 Prey at Night Alternate Ending
The Strangers Prey at Night Review
I’m not going to lie, straight up I liked the original The Strangers movie much more. Seeing that directorial changes were made between the two films possibly affected the overall feeling of Prey at Night. They just don’t feel the same.
I think Bertino is a better storyteller by just a smidge. Roberts is no lightweight filmmaker, but if I put the two films side by side, I would choose Bertino to make a movie.
What I liked about The Strangers was that despite being half the budget, the set was inexplicably good. I spent a decent amount of moments chanting “Go, go, go!” in my head just willing the protagonists to get a move on. I also liked that there is a good dose of payback in this one.
To not spoil anything I won’t say how much, but enough to make me feel a little better about the thought people can fight back. I am also a jump-scare hound and there are a few in this. Some find it cheapens the movie experience but not me. One particular setup was overly cheesy and groan-worthy but the others got me. Money well spent in my book.
Horror Tropes in Horror Movies
What I didn’t like was the overuse of movie tropes in The Strangers 2 Prey at Night. Horror tropes in small doses get me going. Unless the horror you are into is what is now defined as #elevatedhorror, every good horror flick needs a trope or two. I listed nine things that annoyed me in this film. Nine. And then a few scripting foibles which had me wanting to kick my own toe. Read on further for the spoiler section if you’ve seen the film. I have the alternate ending to Strangers Prey at Night below.
Overall though, I still enjoyed it. Although it let me down a little from the tension and relentless fury of the first film, I wouldn’t say much. In comparison, I gave The Strangers 2008 4 Stars.
The Strangers2 Prey at Night is rated
3 Unstable people in a trailer park out of 5
